


Right time to die

by Fallenangel_Winchester



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anger, Angst, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Hurt No Comfort, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 10:01:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20329306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallenangel_Winchester/pseuds/Fallenangel_Winchester
Summary: Peter confronts Dr. Strange about the final battle against Thanos aka he needs explanations in order to deal better with the death of his mentor





	Right time to die

**Author's Note:**

> Alright... 
> 
> This came out of nowhere, inspired by Harry Potter if you'd believe that and how he was kept alive long enough so he could die at the right time.   
Yes, I know it might not make some sense but it wouldn't leave my mind so here it is. 
> 
> I'd say hope you enjoy it, but...I don't think I'm one of those people who can write enjoyable angst  
Either way, thanks for reading 
> 
> Comments are always appreciated.

“You knew.” merely a whisper yet it echoed in the room. 

There was no doubt what those words meant, a statement of the obvious that no matter how much he wished, he couldn't erase it, not that he wanted. The least he could do is bear the weight and guilt without a word, he owed him too much. 

Peter was looking at him, expecting the confirmation he didn't really need, his eyes haunted by nightmares, tiredness written on his face, yet he stood there waiting. 

Stephen didn't know what to say to him, there was nothing he could say that could ease the pain caused by the loss of his mentor, he could help him get much-needed sleep, but he had a feeling that it would be unwanted. 

“I was there…when… when you said that we had won in one of the possible outcomes…this is the one isn't it?” 

Finally he met his gaze, hoping that his eyes would show his guilt and sorrow better than his face before he answered, 

“Yes.”

Peter’s already shaky self control crumbled and he looked a breath away from having a breakdown and thankfully before the sorcerer could react, the cloak flew towards the kid and wrapped itself around him in order to comfort him. To Stephen's surprise the kid didn't push it away, he simply fell on his knees as if the world crashed down on him and he started crying. 

The cloak did its best to soothe him and for a second he wanted to join him, to apologize, to hug the poor kid and ask for forgiveness even though he knew he didn't deserve it, to take some of that pain from him, but he couldn't. 

“Why?” he mumbled through his tears. 

“There was no other way.” equally quiet and softer than it had any right to be, the same thing he told Tony before he faded into dust. It brought a flashback to flutter in front of him, before he felt his eyes stinging with unshed tears and just like that it was gone. 

“Was it you? Your decision to sacrifice him? Tell me.” there was anger beneath the plea that made him think that as long as the kid was angry he would continue fighting, but that wasn't healthy, holding onto anger was never healthy yet he would light that fire if it helped the kid’s recovery. 

“I saw a lot, in most of the outcomes he died fighting, a few years sooner, a few years later, he always died believing that he failed the world…”

“Was there one where he survived?” Peter’s head was lifted yet he wasn't looking at him, he was looking at the distance, most likely seeing what wasn't there. 

“Peter…”

“Was there?” this time his voice was steady, it seemed he wanted, needed something to cling onto, something to hate him for. Who was Stephen to deny him that? 

“Yes, he didn't last long afterwards, always went back, not accepting defeat, fighting until he couldn't fight anymore.”

“You knew…you knew and didn't tell him, didn't give him clues, he could…” he choked back a sob and continued still not looking at him. 

“He was…a genius, he would have come up with something, anything, I know he would have, but he didn't know, how could he come up with a solution if he didn't know all of the variables.” 

If only it was that simple, if only giving him a hint would have saved him and the world at the same time, but he did, didn't he. 

He raised his finger to his lips and sealed Tony's fate, it was as if he had sacrificed him for the world and that was something he could never forgive himself for. 

“If I told him, it wouldn't have happened.” 

This time Peter turned his head to look at him, rage burning in his eyes, rage fueled by heart wrenching pain and he screamed for the first time since he arrived, 

“So you kept him in the dark until the time was right! Until the time was right for him to die!” by the end, his voice broke, but he still managed to continue, 

“You killed him.” it punched the air out of his lungs because those were the same words that for days kept him awake at night, always in the back of his mind. 

Then he got up, shook off the cloak and with a final, 

“I should hate you, but I can't…Mr. Stark…Tony wouldn't have wanted me to do that…” ran out of the room and out of the Sanctum. 

When he fell on his knees, Stephen thought that Peter being angry at him was better than being angry at himself, he could live with that weight, the kid shouldn't have to. 

_ It's no about you,  _

_ I'm not ready  _

_ No one ever is _

He thought he let his arrogance and fear behind or at least learned to control them, he thought he accepted and understood the whole ‘not about you’, it turned out it was on him to take the chance and sacrifice the only person who he respected more than anyone in the world. 

It wasn't about him, it was about Tony, the man who trusted him despite not knowing him and who was willing to lose the little peace he had made to get back the people who were gone. He certainly wasn't ready to watch him die despite seeing his death over and over and the world wasn't ready to lose its defender, yet here they were. 

There were no more tears to shed, so he just let the pain take over him, recalling Tony's face as he bravely fought until the end, a light in the darkness, the brightest star in Stephen's sky, as the cloak covered him like a blanket, hiding him from the world as he was drowning in his guilt until exhaustion pulled him under. 


End file.
